ARTICLES ABOUT JOKES BY DATE - PAGE 3

By Pradip Baijal Mobile telephony in India has shown remarkable growth, with the number of subscribers rising from 10 million to 900 million between 2003 and 2013. Reports say that this is the fastest dispersal of any technology in the world. Having established connectivity through 900 million mobiles, 30 million fixed lines and about 100 million cable TV connections, and thus having the transmission media for about one billion, it is surprising that we have only 16 million broadband subscribers - 13 million on telephone lines and three million on cable TV and other media - in comparison to a target of 20 million for 2010, 175 million for 2017 and 600 million for 2020.

PATNA: Slamming the government's poverty fixation criteria as a "cruel joke" on the poor, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said poverty should not be measured in terms of calories and money but on the basis of right to live with dignity. "We do not agree with the criteria fixed for poverty... poverty should not be decided in terms of calories and money to purchase food but on the basis of the right to live respectfully," Kumar told reporters in Assembly premises.

BHOPAL: Terming the Planning Commission data on poverty scenario as a "cruel joke" on poor, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said that the UPA government at Centre was merely paying lip service to the eradication of poverty. "Instead of reducing poverty in reality the Centre is actually minimising it on papers. The latest figures of the Planning Commission are confusing and a cruel joke on poor," Chouhan told reporters in Nagda town before heading for his ongoing roadshows in the region.

Jay Mazoomdaar Surrounded by cops, Devi Singh Moghiya seemed too soft-spoken and dignified to be a poacher. His melancholic whispers belied the chilling admission that he was one of the six shooters who took out 22 tigers in Ranthambore between 2003 and 2005. They roamed the forest looking for pugmarks. Once a trail was established, they took positions on trees after sundown. One shot in the moonlight was all it would take. How did they get away with killing so many under the nose of 273 forest staff that guarded India's most high-profile reserve?

CHANDIGARH: Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh may be going to polls, but it's Punjab where Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has created a political storm. Reacting to his remark that "seven out of 10 youth in Punjab are addicted to drugs," the Punjab government hit back saying, "Rahul is a national joke" and sought an apology from him. This sharp reaction came from Harcharan Bains, advisor to Punjab chief minister on media and national affairs, after Rahul raised the issue of drug addiction while addressing a students' rally here at the Panjab University (PU)

NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child's Right (NCPCR) today termed as a "cruel joke" Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's comment attributing high rate of malnutrition in his state to figure conscious young girls and people being vegetarian. Accusing Modi of trivialising the issue, NCPCR Chairperson Shantha Sinha said Modi should take responsibility for this "dismal" situation and implement a robust health policy. She said studies on dietary and intake suggest, far from being a personel choice, vegetarianism is related to inability to purchase nutritionally rich animal based foods like milk, eggs, fish and meat and to suggest that the poor women and children of Gujarat are malnurished as result of fashion consciousness is a "cruel joke".

NEW DELHI: Congress launched a counter-offensive against BJP on Thursday, with party president Sonia Gandhi sending out a stern message to her MPs to aggressively tackle the chief opposition party's demand for the resignation of the PM. Gandhi sent out a tough message to the party, as she met a group of Congress MPs after BJP forced adjournments of both Houses for the third consecutive day on Thursday. Gandhi told the group that there was no need to be on the defensive and instead Congress should take BJP head on. MPs who met Gandhi included Sanjay Nirupam , Sandeep Dikshit , Deepender Hooda, Jyoti Mirdha, Anu Tandon and Ranee Narah The party president's aggressive message to MPs set the tone for Congress.

NEW DELHI Disowned by the Samajwadi Party over his interview of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi , Shahid Siddiqui on Sunday said he was inducted in January before all party leaders, including Mulayam Singh Yadav. NEW DELHI: Disowned by the Samajwadi Party over his interview of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, Shahid Siddiqui on Sunday said he was inducted in January before all party leaders, including Mulayam Singh Yadav. Siddiqui defended his Modi interview, saying his intention was to make him face tough questions on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

NEW DELHI: Congress today hit out at Anna Hazare and his team accusing them of turning dharnas into a "joke" as their indefinite fast against corruption entered its third day with yoga guru Ramdev today joining them. "In a democracy people have a right to sit on dharna or hold agitation. Team Anna has reduced this right of the people into a joke. Baba Ramadev and Team Anna have played with this right of the common man. "It seems he (Anna) and his team want to put pressure on the government.

NEW DELHI: Reacting to reports that Home Minister P Chidambaram may be appointed as head of the EGOM on telecom, the BJP today said, this is a "cruel joke" on the nation and goes against the Prime Minister's claim of maintaining a high level of integrity. "There are reports about the likely appointment of Chidambaram as head of the EGOM on telecom. There has been no denial from the government. This flies in the face of Prime Minister's statement yesterday that he maintains a high level of integrity," BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.